Genre Analysis A2 Media

Introduction to Documentaries - History John Grierson first

defined the term 'documentary) as ‘the creative treatment of actuality’. He was a Scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film.

The General Post Officr Film Unit was a subdivision of the UK General Post Office. The unit was established in 1933, taking on responsibilities of the Empire Marketing Board Film Unit. Headed by John Grierson, it was set up to produce sponsored documentary films mainly related to the activities of the GPO.

Documentaries began when the first films were created by the Lumiere brothers in 1895.

Documentary, as we know it today, began with Nanook of The North, made by Robert Flaherty in 1922. The term documentary was created by John Grierson to describe this film, as Flaherty had staged most of the scenes in order to make it more exciting. ‘Creative treatment of actuality’, as the definition states.

Grierson went on to head the GPO film unit in England in the 1930s and he became a major part of the poetic-realist approach to documentary.

Major development of documentaries in the 1950s and 1960s – the direct cinema. A movement began in the US, aimed at present social and political issues in a direct ,unmediated way giving the impression that the events recorded were exactly how they happened without the involvement of the film maker.

Features of a Documentary - Observation

A documentary maker follows the person around to observe the events that happen in that person’s life

Equipment can be informal, such as the use of hand held cameras

Usually no interviews are included and there are no voice overs, long takes are used

Other examples include – 16& Pregnant, Teen Mom and Big Brother

MTV Cribs is a good example as it features tours of houses of very wealthy families, very informal and observational. Interviews are also not included but families do talk to the camera about their house.

Features of a Documentary - Interview Documentaries rely heavily on

interviews. Sometimes pictures and archive footage are dubbed over the interview to make sense of what is going on as part of context

The rule of thirds is one of the most basic rules of photographic composition. This framing technique applies. The points where those lines intersect are optimal locations for the placement of your main subject.

Interviews also try to set a certain mood, for instance, in the documentary ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’, Manson is positioned in a familiar setting, but with low key lighting to highlight the minor tone of the interview and to cause a dramatic and spooky effect.

Features of a Documentary – Dramatisation Dramatization is there

reconstruction of an event, novel, story etc. in the form suitable for dramatic presentation.

The T.V programme ‘I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant’ is a good example of this, as it shows re-enactments of when the women were giving birth.

Usually actors that are unknown are casted to re-enact the story as it makes it more believable if the audience doesn’t know or recognise the actors.

Features of a Documentary – Mise En Scene Mise En Scene is very important

for a documentary

Clothing that someone wears my not be constructed, but will help portray a person’s personality

Low key lighting and high key lighting will set the mood for any documentary, happy or dark, will give off a certain atmosphere that will connect with the audience

The setting is also important, it may show locations or a backstage room, usually where someone is in there comfort zone to talk or be interviewed

Features of a Documentary - Exposition The exposition is the portion

of a story that introduces important background information to the audience; for example, information about the setting, events occurring before the main plot, characters' back stories, etc.

 Exposition can be conveyed through dialogues, flashbacks, character's thoughts,

background details, in-universe media or the narrator telling a back-story.

Different types of documentary – Fly On The Wall

Cameras fall back and observe the situation unnoticed

Breaking The Faith, Breaking Amish, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here is a good example of this

Little or no narration

Allows audience to come up with their own conclusion

Different types of documentary – Fully Narrated ‘Voice of God’ narration

Cannot see the narrator as he/she is telling the story of the documentary

The Narrator gives information

The Narrator has a sense of authority and fixes the meaning of the documentary

Helps the situation to be understood

Different types of documentary – Mixed

Combination of observation, interview, archive footage and narration

Archive footage of a certain event or issue

The narrator of a mixed documentary links everything together

The Devil Made Me Do It is an example of this

Different types of documentary – Self Reflexive The person in the scene

knows that the camera is following them and sometimes talks directly to the camera itself

Film makers can be involved and appear on and off screen

Camera is acknowledged

A criticism of this is that it is more focused on the film maker than the documentary topic

Teen Mom is a good example of this

Different types of documentary –Docusoap

A Docusoap follows the lives of individuals

Usually set within one location or community

Docusoaps are often long running as they follow a person’s life

Examples – One Born Every Minute, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

Different types of documentary - Docudrama A Docudrama feature a

reconstruction of a certain event as if it has just happened

Gives the audience a sense of that they know what went on

Gives the audience an atmosphere and the feelings surrounding the event

Crime Watch is a good example of this